Pohnpei Cicadabird

A plump, mostly ground-dwelling bird with long yellowish legs, a dark blackish body, a tall light gray crest, a yellow bill, and a blood-red neck. Found in most habitats across the islands in its range, seemingly very adaptable. Local movements between islands frequently recorded. A loud species that calls often, most commonly giving a high-pitched squeaky “KEEK... KEEK KEEK” with a pause between the first and second notes. Unmistakable.

A reddish-brown owl with a large rounded head, pale whitish eyebrows, and no ear tufts. Upperparts spotted with black-tipped white spots. Legs unfeathered and whitish. Found in a wide range of forest, mostly in lowlands, frequently near villages. No other owls occur on Palau. Voice includes a long series of deep “whok” notes rising in intensity, finishing in a sharp “quirt-quirt” whistle.

A gray-brown bushshrike with rufous wings, a bold pale eyebrow, and a diagnostic brown central crown that is bordered by black stripes. Pairs skulk close to the ground, where they hop and glean for insects in scrub, tangled thickets, and open woodland. The species is more terrestrial than other tchagras. It performs a descending spiral aerial display, making a “prrrrrp” rattle sound with its fluttering wings before singing a rapid descending series of 15–20 musical “chee-ree” notes as the bird returns to the ground. The similar Southern Tchagra differs from the smaller Brown-crowned Tchagra by having a larger, stouter bill and a plain brown central crown lacking black border stripes.